CTO is part of our everyday life
Crude tall oil, thanks to its unique properties, can be further refined to various fractions. The intermediates – such as fatty acids, sterols and rosins – can be used in numerous applications, many of which are still to be discovered. At Forchem, we research CTO’s many valuable features that often offer a sustainable alternative for non-renewable raw materials in many products. CTO also has antibacterial qualities and nutritional, health-benefitting effects.
Rewarded R&D
Our R&D work has been rewarded and Forchem has been recognized as one of the most promising cleantech companies in the world. The Global Cleantech Cluster Association (GCCA) selected Forchem to the Global Top 30 cleantech list among over 4,500 companies in 2012. In 2019, the Finnish Innovation Fund, Sitra, listed Forchem as One of the most interesting companies in the circular economy of Finland.
Applications
CTO is a raw material like no other. Already the Vikings knew to use its water repellent properties to protect their boats from sinking – today this quality is still utilised in coatings as well as paints and inks. Next to these more traditional applications, crude tall oil can be refined to finer products that have antibacterial or cholesterol-lowering properties.
Progres® – safe and natural protection for animals
Progres is a contest-winning animal fodder innovation by Forchem and Hankkija. Crude tall oil is a natural protection mechanism of pine trees and it maintains its valuable antibacterial properties through the refining process. When tall oil fatty acid based Progres is added to animal feed, it prevents growth of gram-positive pathogenic gut bacteria and intestinal infections of the animals.
For instance, use of Progres reduces piglets’ neonatal mortality and improves their survival and growth. What’s more, whereas piglets’ diarrhea has until now often been treated with industrial antibiotics, their immunity against such, sometimes lethal, diseases can now be enhanced naturally with Progres fodder. Because of its natural features, Progres is a safe and active compound.
Progres is the first and so far the only resin acid product in the global forage market. Since its invention in 2014, Progres’ abilities and potential have been continuously developed and they are tested further. In 2018, Progres was awarded with the Finnish Prize for Innovations and it was entitled the Best Idea of 2017 in the Netherlands.
